To Recover What We Lost
by Accio Lumos
Summary: For a bloodtraitors mistake, Narcissa lost everything when her parents sent her to attend Beauxbatons for her final year of schooling. She's lost everything, the once close relationship with her parents, her friends, the sister to the purity cause and her lover. On her return to England, Narcissa learns that to get what she wants, it's going to take a lot of hard work.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: New Lucissa concept that has been inspiring me for a few weeks, first chapter is written and I'd like to hear your thoughts.**

 **Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the amazing JK!**

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 **July 1973**

It was just as she remembered. The light summer breeze swept through her long blonde hair as she stepped out of the car, looking up at the small country manor with it's tiled roof, ivy growing over the left side neatly, the black brick shining as the sun hit the manor. Home still looked the same on the outside but Narcissa Black knew that although her return to Black Hall meant she was home at last, there were a lot of changes that she would have to get used to.

The Ministry driver took out her trunk from the boot of the car, handing it to her before wishing her a good day as he got back into the car. Narcissa didn't acknowledge the man, she simply walked across the gravel and knocked on the front door three times delicately with her knuckles. The doors opened, the house elves of the estate pulling them open as she stepped into the entrance hall, the décor still the same of silver and green on the inside; her ancestor's choosing of their Slytherin roots.

"Narcissa darling!" her mother greeted as she was enveloped in the arms of the woman who had given birth to her.

"Hello mother." Narcissa greeted back.

"How was your journey home? I hope that the Ministry driver was accommodating?" Druella asked.

"He was silent mother, the only way I would have it. As for the journey it was very tiresome." Narcissa replied politely.

Druella smiled a small smile as the house elves struggled to get Narcissa's trunk upstairs and the two women moved into the living room, the furniture still the same as she remembered the last time she had stepped foot in the room, the day she had been sent to spend her final year of education at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

"How is Madame Maxime? And how did you like Beauxbatons? You didn't write to us much." Druella stated.

Narcissa sat on the grey sofa, having forgotten how comfortable it was. In truth, she was disappointed that she had to go away from everything she knew at Hogwarts, away from her friends but there was no arguing with her parents.

"Madame Maxime is fine mother as for Beauxbatons it was a different experience, the palace was absolutely gorgeous! As for the letters, I knew my pleads to come home would fall upon deaf ears." Narcissa replied stiffly.

"You are still angry with us aren't you?" Druella sighed heavily.

Narcissa nodded, "Of course I am still angry. A year away from Hogwarts, from my friends, from the man I was supposed to marry-"

"Cissy this has to stop. You know why we sent you away, we had no choice. And you must forget about Lucius, he's married now." Druella commanded.

The news that her former betrothed was married to another hit her hard. Two years ago she had everything, a loving family, friends at school and a man who she loved and who loved her; who had proposed to her and the time that they had shared together had meant everything to her until a certain incident involving the sister she no longer considered to be her sister occurred. Since then, she had lost everything and whenever she looked her father in the eyes, she saw the damage that Andromeda had done and felt sad that her father would think she would do the same.

"Mother I assure you that when I was sent to Beauxbatons I knew I would have to forget about Lucius and I have moved on. But that doesn't mean that I can just forget about what you and father did and what you didn't do and in time I may forgive you and not feel so angry. In fact I did what I was told to do and I've found someone that you and father will believe appropriate." Narcissa replied.

"I suppose in time everything will be well again." Druella muttered.

"It will mother." Narcissa promised.

Druella smiled brightly as she ordered the family's house elf to get them a tray of tea and biscuits to enjoy before waffling on at how Cygnus was out for a business lunch with some people he knew at the Ministry. Narcissa pretended to listen as she helped herself to the tea, her mind wandering off into thoughts of her life at Beauxbatons.

"So tell me," Druella said in a gossipy voice, "Who is this young man that you think me and your father will find appropriate?"

Narcissa set her empty cup on the tray before meeting the expectant stare of her mother.

"Henri Rosier, a distant cousin." Narcissa replied.

"A relative?"

"A distant one yes and besides, you had specific instructions for when I returned from France." Narcissa answered.

Druella sat up a little straighter, both the women a little tense that Narcissa was refusing the let the matter of her final year of education go.

"When can we meet him?" Druella asked.

"He is on his way to England next week, he has a last few things to tie up and the French ministry before coming." Narcissa explained.

"Did you meet him at school or was it through the Rosier parties that you attended?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes when her mother wasn't looking, it felt like she was being questioned for a crime rather than being asked questions about her new suitor.

"Through the Rosier parties, Aunt Blanche is quite good friends with Madame Maxime and requested I attend the parties most weekends thanks to the letters you wrote to her instructing that I find a suitable candidate for a husband." Narcissa replied icily.

"Very good darling, I can't wait to meet him." Druella said brightly.

Watching her mother help herself to some more tea, Narcissa kept her mouth closed on more talk to do with Henri, Beauxbatons and her anger at her parents for what had happened for her to be sent away in the first place. A year was a long time and in that year she had to come to terms with the things that she had lost and her return to England had made her more determined to go back to the way her life had been before her exile; but now she knew that things were different she would have to work a lot harder in order to achieve what she wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

She had only been home a week and felt happy at her parent's approval of Henri but found herself feeling dread and anxiety. Tonight was her father's birthday and as usual, he was holding a party to celebrate with his closest friends. Narcissa felt nervous because her father still held a close friendship with Abraxas Malfoy and there was no doubt about it that the Abraxas, Lucius and Lucius's new wife would be in attendance. The thought of seeing Lucius for the first time since the previous summer made her anxious and it was beginning to get to her. She had to look stunning at the party, to make everyone who had gossiped about her family's misfortunes believe that she was back and better than ever.

"Cissy!" a blonde haired girl squealed, wrapping her arms around Narcissa's neck.

"Jem, it's so great to see you." Narcissa said back, hugging her best friend closely.

Jemima Nott, or Greengrass as she was now known due to her recent wedding to childhood sweetheart Neil Greengrass, had been Narcissa's best friend since they were eight years old and had been one of the few who had been there for her when she had been shipped off to France after the Andromeda scandal. The two girls released each other, with them both linking arms and walking up the cobbled street that was Diagon Alley.

"So tell me about this Henri you've been telling me about in your letters. I mean besides the fact that he's your tall, dark and handsome stranger who whisked you off your feet in France." Jemima gushed.

Narcissa felt herself smile, "He's the perfect gentleman, all the time we spend together he's always making me smile. He insists on spoiling me rotten, he compliments me, he's a great person to converse with-"

"But?"

Her smile faded, "I like him a lot, I'm still getting there with our relationship." she said quietly.

"You've only been seeing him for a little while, is he going to propose soon? What will you say if he does?"

Narcissa laughed, her best friend had always been curious and inquisitive.

"I'll accept his proposal." Narcissa said fondly as the two headed towards Twilfitt and Tatting's.

"What about Lucius?"

"What about him? He's married."

Jemima sighed heavily and raised an eyebrow to which Narcissa knew what her best friend was getting at.

"I'll say yes, I can see myself having a future with him." Narcissa replied.

Jemima frowned a little which caused Narcissa to sigh. She could easily fool her parents into thinking that she had moved on and was looking forward to her future with Henri but out of two people she couldn't fool. one was Jemima. Her best friend knew her inside out so she knew that there was no point in denying that she was going to get what she wanted.

"He's coming to my father's party tonight, I'm a little anxious." she muttered.

"Anxious about what?" Jemima asked.

"The last time I saw him it was to tell me that his father had broken our engagement because of what Andromeda had done to our family and Lucius stood by and let it happen. It's been a whole year since I last saw him, can you blame me for being anxious about seeing him again when it's been a long time?" Narcissa explained.

Jemima smiled as they entered Twilfitt and Tatting's, starting to look through various fabric samples as Narcissa took to the catalogue to look at pattern types.

"Well, I think it would make you less anxious if we got you a dress that made you look more gorgeous than usual. I think we need to get you a dress that will make Lucius realise what he's been missing out on being married to this floozy." Jemima muttered.

Narcissa smirked, "You don't know that she's a floozy-"

"She is when he could have married you. Cissy, you're the most suitable for Lucius and you loved each other once upon a time. This woman could be like many others who flirted with Lucius over the years, only after his money. You didn't want that, you just wanted him. That is what makes you different than his newly wedded wife." Jemima said defensively.

"You're my best friend, you have to say that."

"I don't, I could've said that maybe you should forget about Lucius and focus on a future with Henri. But because I'm the hopeless romantic that my husband says I am, I'm going to help you. If you want Henri then I'll help you move on but if you want to feel less anxious about Lucius then I say we make you utterly resistible to him." Jemima proposed.

Narcissa nodded her head in agreement, with the two looking at fabric samples and patterns before discussing with the shop keeper what she wanted for her dress. She had the entire day to ensure that she and Jemima had gotten everything she needed for the party later that night and hopefully the moment would come when she would set her gaze on her former lover and not feel as nervous as she did right now.

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 **A/N: I hope you like this chapter, if you follow any of my stories please check out my bio for dates on when they will next be updated. I'm currently doing it on a monthly basis due to my university course taking up a lot of my time at the moment. The next chapter will be a lengthy one and will involve Cygnus's party and the first introduction of Henri :)**


	3. Chapter 3

The shopping trip with Jemima had been a complete success, having bought a lilac, A-line one shouldered, beaded sleeveless, floor-length dress with diamonds embedded in with the beading. Make-up lightly applied with a minimal blush and pale pink lipstick added and her long blonde locks curled tightly and swept over her left shoulder and pinned into place. There was a light knock on her bedroom door and she turned just as Henri entered her bedroom.

She was lucky to have found Henri and her mother approved of him the first time he had met her parents, having said that they would produce beautiful girls who would have Narcissa's looks and the boys would inherit their father's dark brown hair, muddy brown eyes and strong jaw. Henri was rather handsome and was perfectly nice but little did her parents know that their courtship was all an act.

"You look beautiful." Henri complimented.

"Thank you, I like your robes. The black and gold compliment each other." Narcissa replied.

"Your mother is quite the expert in colour schemes for dress robes." said Henri, closing the door behind him.

Narcissa smiled, "Are you sure you still want to do this? I won't hold it against you if you decide to back out of our arrangement." she said quietly.

"We've talked about this many times Narcissa, I'm perfectly sure that I want to keep this up. Once you are reunited with Lucius and I am reunited with Isabel then we can end this charade. The whole point of this is to keep our families off our backs about finding someone to marry when we really want to be with those we love." Henri whispered.

"I know that but I fear it may be harder for me because the love of my life is married to another." Narcissa muttered.

"Then I must play my part very well and make him so jealous that he'll divorce. Now we have to go downstairs because the party is starting in ten minutes, are you ready?"

She nodded her confirmation, linking her arm in his as they left her bedroom and walked down the stairs to enter the small ballroom in her family manor. Some of the guests had already started to arrive, Jemima rushed over with Neil Greengrass to greet them and to get a formal introduction to Henri. Narcissa smiled as Henri enlightened her best friend by answering all questions that Jemima put to him, stating that he was the eldest of three boys and grew up in Versailles, he attended Beauxbatons before going into employment with the French Ministry and met Narcissa at a party through her Aunt Blanche; who's cousin was his father making him and Narcissa distant relatives.

Narcissa excused herself to go and help herself to a drink, heading over to one of the hired waiters who were walking around with circular trays that held glasses of champagne. She took one and took a sip, feeling a hand on her shoulder; she turned and her eyes narrowed when she saw who it was.

"Mr Malfoy." she greeted coldly.

"Narcissa, you look well." Abraxas replied.

"Thank you, France is good for a getaway."

"Indeed. I agreed with your father's decision when he told me that he was sending you to Beauxbatons, it was nice of him to get you away from all the scandal that was happening here." said Abraxas, almost tauntingly.

Narcissa didn't stop glaring at the old man, "Forgive me, Mr Malfoy, but the 'scandal' was not of my making and nor do I intend to associate myself with it further. You didn't help matters for the part you played in my exile." she replied icily.

"Of course my dear. I understand that you would hold some ill will toward me and I can assure you that the past is in the past. Come, I have someone that I would like you to meet." Abraxas requested, placing an arm over her shoulder and leading her through the crowd.

She didn't want to even speak with any member of the Malfoy family at present, she just wanted to get through this party and make it known to everyone in attendance that she was more than a bloodtraitor's sister.

"Cecily, where is Lucius?" Abraxas asked as the two of them reached a brunette.

The woman turned, smiling her greeting with white and slightly crooked teeth. Her eyes were a shade of mint green that sat under a wide forehead and oddly shaped eyebrows. Her pale, round face gave her the impression that she had a friendly demeanour but Narcissa knew that appearances could be deceptive, perhaps better than most people.

"He's gone to speak with some business associates he met through the Ministry." Cecily answered.

"May I introduce you to Narcissa Black, she's the daughter of my close friend Cygnus." Abraxas said.

Cecily took her hand and shook it gently, "Were you not betrothed to Lucius at one point?" she asked.

Narcissa nodded, "I was." she confirmed.

Abraxas moved away from the two women causing Narcissa to silently curse the man who was so determined to torment her over what she had lost.

"I suppose it's for the best that you didn't marry him, otherwise I wouldn't have had the opportunity." Cecily said quietly, almost smugly.

Narcissa smiled her best fake smile and leaned a little closer, "That may be true but alas I have moved on to someone who is more worthy of a Black. Just remember that no matter how much jewellery you wear or how many times you spend those galleons in the Malfoy vault at Gringotts, never forget that I know him better than you ever will and I have something of his which you will never own." she whispered.

Cecily frowned, "He's my husband, not yours." the woman hissed.

Narcissa smiled tauntingly at her, "It won't last long." she vowed.

Without saying anything further, she turned and left Lucius's wife stood there looking shocked, confused and outraged which only made Narcissa smile in triumph; there was no way that she was going to allow a stranger to taunt her about what she had gone through when she was all the more determined to get back what she had lost.

She met the eye of Lucius as he made his way back to his wife as he carried two champagne flutes but nothing was said, his look was that of curiosity and wonder to which that she found herself thinking if he had spent the last year wondering what if Abraxas hadn't broken their engagement and she hadn't been sent to France. But thoughts of Lucius were soon put out of her head when the announcement of Bellatrix's arrival reached her and she soon hurried over to her sister to greet her.

"Cissy, it's been too long." Bella drawled, not even pretending to be remotely interested in a conversation.

"Nice to see you too Bella." Narcissa replied.

"I have other places to be but father insisted that I come for appearances sake." Bella said with a slight yawn.

The yawn she couldn't make out whether it was down to tiredness or boredom but she soon decided, having known Bella's reluctance to attend these parties and that her sister could function on very little sleep due to her duties for the Dark Lord, it was the latter.

"I shan't keep you then but perhaps we could go for a drink somewhere to catch up properly?" Narcissa asked.

"The Cracked Cauldron in Knockturn Alley in three days time, meet me there at noon if you like. I'll be there with a few friends of mine." said Bella, turning on her heel and heading off through the crowd; most likely to try and find Rodolphus to sneak off to do something that she found more exciting than being at a party with their family and their father's closest friends.

It was such a crowded room that Narcissa found herself getting quite hot and needing some air. Politely moving past people who were stood in her way, she reached the doors that led on to the terrace and decided to go for a short walk to cool down, heading off towards the part of the grounds that were covered by trees; lost in remembrance of her and Lucius as she walked underneath the canopy of trees.

 _"I've been thinking about the other night quite a lot." Lucius admitted._

 _Narcissa smiled as they continued to walk around the gardens, the sun shining down upon them; causing the summer heat to make them head under the canopy of trees._

 _"Which part exactly? Men always like it when a girl loses at poker to them, it's quite a good boost to their ego." Narcissa replied._

 _"The part which occurred after you lost to me."_

 _Narcissa looked at him, rolling her eyes at the smirk on his face, "Well it was part of the dare, the loser has to kiss the winner." she said._

 _"It wasn't how I imagined having a first kiss with you."_

 _"Why are you imagining such things? We're just friends Lucius and besides it hardly counts due to the circumstances. But I will admit that you're quite a good kisser." Narcissa teased._

 _"Quite good? I've been told by many that I'm the best kisser in Slytherin." Lucius asked, slightly offended._

 _Narcissa shrugged, "I can't really hold a judgement considering the circumstances on which I was forced to kiss you." she replied._

 _"I would hardly say you were forced-"_

 _"And if girls are telling you that you are the best kisser in our house than I'd say you've been kissing far too many girls, I'd worry about your reputation as a womaniser." Narcissa teased._

 _They stopped walking for a moment, with Lucius gazing at her with a smirk. She only ever was like this with him, everyone else didn't get to see her laughter, her teasing nature, her grins or smirks. In all their years of friendship he wanted that to change and he was certain that she wanted it to change to. But as he was about to make a move closer to her, she grinned and turned; running off into the canopy of trees laughing because she knew that he was going to make her pay for her last comment. Lucius ran too, pulling out his wand and muttering a spell; causing Narcissa to trip on the raised tree root that he had caused to momentarily pop out of the ground. He reached her when the tree root had vanished, she turned on to her back and groaned at the unexpected tumble she had taken. Lucius lay on top of her, pinning her arms above her head as she glared at him._

 _"Are you okay?" Lucius whispered._

 _"No! What in Merlin's name did you do that for?!" Narcissa shrieked._

 _"Call it revenge for your womaniser comment." Lucius replied._

 _"You're insane Malfoy!" Narcissa whispered, trying to wriggle free of his grasp but he held her even more tightly._

 _Nothing else was said as Lucius crashed his lips down on to hers, sucking on that bottom lip that had taunted him since their kiss after the poker game. Narcissa didn't hold back, she opened her mouth to him and tongues battled the other. Narcissa felt the flutterings in her stomach that she had felt the other night as Lucius released her hands and broke the kiss; kissing along her jaw and down her neck..._

"I thought you'd be out here." said a voice.

Narcissa turned, heart beating faster and faster as she saw that her private moment of remembrance had been interrupted by the one person she had been reminiscing about. All evening she had managed to avoid talking with him, all evening all they had exchanged was mere glances that lasted a second longer than it should have done. But now here he was, stood before her as if nothing had happened.

"I needed some air it was getting too hot inside." Narcissa replied stiffly.

"You look well, France seems to have agreed with you." Lucius complimented.

Narcissa scoffed, "I'm still the sister of a blood-traitor in your father's eyes." she replied icily.

She wasn't going to allow him to treat her in the way that he was, that time hadn't passed and they hadn't been separated. She wasn't going to allow Lucius to act as if he hadn't broken their engagement a year ago which had left her heartbroken.

"Narcissa you should let me explain-"

"Explain what? That the man I loved and was supposed to marry broke our engagement because my sister decided to run off with a mudblood rather than marry into the Nott family? It was all Andromeda, not me. Your apologies and explanations mean nothing to me." Narcissa sneered.

"You know what my father is like, he is a bitter fool. When the news of Andromeda's desertion went public he believed that all the Blacks were bad seeds all you had to do was look at Bellatrix and Andromeda and he believed you to be the same-"

She scoffed again, "I always knew you were many things, I never knew that you were a coward." she shot at him bitterly.

"I am no such thing!" Lucius growled, stepping towards her angrily.

"You are because you failed to fight for our engagement, you failed to fight for me when I was prepared to defy your father and marry you." Narcissa hissed.

"Your parents sent you off to France because of Andromeda's mistake, the fault isn't mine it's that of our parents." Lucius replied defensively.

"I know that part is their fault and believe me, I will be speaking to them about it. The one letter that I received from you when I first got to Beauxbatons promised that you were going to wait for me and on my return home I hear the news that you're someone else's!" Narcissa almost yelled.

"I had no choice and besides you're with that fancy French imposter-"

"I am now."

"I don't love her, she's simply a woman I married to keep my father happy and satisfied." said Lucius.

"But you married her all the same." Narcissa hissed.

Lucius stepped away from her. Narcissa looked at him and felt surprised that she was this angry with him about everything that had happened. She was angry with everyone, Abraxas for thinking that his oldest friend's youngest daughter was just like the blood-traitor and breaking their engagement, Lucius for allowing it to happen and marrying someone else, her parents for sending her away to avoid further gossiping from the public and most of all Andromeda because she was the one to cause all of this mess by running off with that Hufflepuff mudblood.

"Forgive me for taking up so much of your time. I merely thought that because you were in the same spot that we shared our first real kiss that you would want me to talk with you. I can see now that it was a mistake and I won't bother you again. Congratulations on your engagement, I hope that Henri Rosier realises that he is a lucky man." Lucius said, almost sorrowfully.

"We aren't those teenagers any more Lucius, I'm not that fourteen year old that you first kissed and neither are you that fifteen year old. I am eighteen now and you nineteen and married. I hope that one day in the future I can get past my anger towards everyone for everything that has occurred. Go back to your wife Lucius, I'm sure that she will give you the Malfoy heir that your father desperately wants." Narcissa replied.

Without another word, Narcissa left and walked back towards the manor. In time she hoped that she would be able to get over her anger and sort out her life the way she wanted it to go but she knew that it was going to be hard. As she reached the terrace, Henri was waiting for her. She greeted him with a smile and took hold of his hands that were reaching out to her.

"Did you speak with him?" Henri muttered.

Narcissa nodded, "He doesn't love his wife so I suppose that's good news." she replied quietly.

"That wasn't part of the plan, him getting married. If we want to defy our parents and get those we truly love back into our lives then we have to rethink the fact that yours is married." Henri whispered.

"Are you certain you want to carry on with this? I mean our parents are none the wiser but I don't want anyone to get hurt." said Narcissa.

Henri smiled, seeing out of the corner of his eye that Lucius was approaching the manor. He took out his hand and stroked her cheek slowly, hoping that it would give off the impression of affection.

"We just have to make this as believable as possible if we are going to keep this going." Henri whispered.

Narcissa nodded, seeing that Henri was getting closer to her she closed her eyes. It was all part of the act, part of their agreement to be engaged. She didn't love Henri and Henri didn't love her, they would simply be engaged for a year whilst they secretly worked to get the love of their lives back whatever the cost. Henri lightly kissed her before pulling away, smiling as his gaze briefly went away from her to look at Lucius.

She heard the footsteps behind her, turning to see that Lucius had brushed past them to re-enter the house; giving her a look of regret as he went. She hadn't meant to get this angry with him but she couldn't help it. The saying that time is a healer would only remain to be seen in her case, she hoped that in time she wouldn't feel this angry with the love of her life and in time she hoped that she and Lucius would one day be reunited.


	4. Chapter 4

"Well the Black parties live up to their reputation, they are quite enjoyable." Cecily mused, sitting on the sofa as Abraxas handed her a glass of wine.

"What did you think of Miss Black?" Abraxas asked.

"She's very beautiful." Cecily replied, taking a sip from the glass.

Abraxas sat next to her, "But?"

She sighed heavily, "But Lucius still loves her, wants her I believe. He's only lain with me once and that was our wedding night, he refuses to come to my bed."

"Try harder."

"Don't you think I have? I've tried everything, sexy lingerie to entice him, I've tried surprising him. Nothing seems to work on your son, it's almost like he's impotent!" Cecily complained.

Abraxas chuckled in amusement at his daughter-in-laws complaints. Of course he knew about Lucius's love for the Black girl, ever since he had told his son that he was breaking the engagement between him and Narcissa, his son had been absolutely furious.

 _"You cannot do this! I love her, she's to be my wife!" Lucius protested._

 _"Her sister is a blood traitor, ran off to marry some mudblood and the elder one is insane my boy! Who's to say that Narcissa won't turn out to be a bad see also?"_

 _"She's nothing like Bellatrix or that blood traitor, you know she isn't!"_

 _"Well Cygnus has agreed to end the engagement, Narcissa is going to Beauxbatons for her final year of schooling. You will marry Cecily Blishwick."_

 _"She was a Hufflepuff at school!" Lucius shouted in distaste._

 _"But her father was a Slytherin and a good friend of mine. It's all agreed too and there is nothing else to say on that matter!"_

They heard the front door burst open, Lucius had returned from the Black's at last but his son simply stormed up the stairs; leaving Abraxas alone in the living room with Cecily.

"My dear, you must do whatever it takes. Drug him with a potion if needs must! Just as long as you get yourself pregnant with my son's heir so that the Malfoy line will continue. Give Lucius a son and when you do that, his mind will be on you and the child for the rest of his days, he will soon forget about the Black girl."

Cecily watched as her father-in-law left the sitting room and climbed the staircase to his bedroom. She sat there by herself, downing the last of her wine before rising from her seat. The introduction to Narcissa Black had left her unsettled, the girl was ten times more beautiful than she was but Lucius had chosen to marry her and not Narcissa? Surely that had to stand for something?

As she climbed the staircase, the words that Narcissa had said to her at the party still played on her mind. What did Narcissa have of Lucius's that she would always have that Cecily never would? She didn't understand.

ooOoo

Lucius pulled off his dress robes and chucked them to the floor, not caring if it created more work for the house elves to do in the morning. He wished that he hadn't been made to attend Cygnus Black's party, it had brought up feelings that he had wished he had buried and now he wanted nothing more than to go and visit Narcissa in the dead of night, in the privacy of her bedroom at Black Hall. He began to feel a surge of jealousy as he pulled on a night shirt and climbed into bed as he wondered whether Narcissa had allowed Henri in to her bed as she had once allowed him.

Their first time had occurred during their courtship, in the Easter holidays before he had proposed to her. She was fifteen and had come to visit him, they had been walking out on the grounds to Malfoy Manor when they had been caught in a huge downpour of rain and hailstones. There was a small cottage on the edge of the estate where his mother had often visited with Abraxas during their early days of courting so they had gone there for shelter.

 _He loved the way Narcissa laughed as he let them both into the cottage, her hair soaking wet and her clothes clinging to her tightly. Her dress was see through and he could see the her pale skin through the white of her dress; maybe she was beginning to regret having chosen to wear such a dress in April. She turned to face him, the laughter gone from her face as their eyes met._

 _"How long do you think it shall last?" Narcissa asked._

 _Lucius shrugged, "I don't know, there's a wireless in the bedroom." he replied._

 _They both made their way into the bedroom, Lucius pointing his wand at the wireless and tapped through until the weather report came up. Narcissa started to chuck some logs on to the fire and ignited it with her wand with the simple incantation of "Incendio." before sitting in front of the fire to warm herself up. Lucius sighed heavily, watching as she placed her hands in front of the flames._

 _"The weather report says that the hailstones will last for a few hours yet." Lucius said quietly._

 _"We can stay here then, dry off and keep warm." Narcissa suggested._

 _"We aren't going to get dry quick enough wearing our clothes."_

 _He watched her blush and look away, his hands went to her hair and untied it from the plait that she had tied it into. His fingers ran softly through the waves and she closed her eyes, humming softly at the contact. His hands moved from her hair to cup her face as he leaned forward and kissed her softly, moving his mouth from her lips to her neck; causing her to gasp._

 _"Narcissa, I love you." he whispered._

 _"I love you."_

 _He watched as she took off her dress to hang it over the back of the nearest chair and placed the chair near the fire so that it could dry easier, then she helped to remove him of his clothes before being wrapped in his arms and lips enveloped in a fiery kiss as he led the both of them towards the bed..._

His memory was interrupted by the sound of knocking on his bedroom door, he groaned and rolled his eyes as he watched Cecily open the door and stand in the doorway.

"Lucius, will you come to my bed tonight?" she said pleadingly.

"Go to your bedroom Cecily, I won't be visiting you." Lucius replied coldly.

"But-"

"Go!" he yelled at her.

Cecily nodded sadly and exited the room as he fell back on to the pillows and grunted. How had he been stuck with a wife that didn't do it for him? Why was he stuck with someone that his father had chosen for him? Why had he allowed himself to get into this situation when all he wanted was to be wrapped up in the warmth of Narcissa's arms, telling her that he loved her more than anything. But he couldn't do that, she was with someone else now and he was going to find out exactly what her relationship with Henri Rosier was.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So thanks for all the reviews so far, I get the impression that a lot of you like jealous Lucius? Well there's plenty more of that to come and from this chapter onwards the rating has been changed from 'T' to 'M' so I'd just like to remind you not to read unless over the legal age. Otherwise, enjoy and review :)**

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Henri Rosier stepped out of the jewellers, placing the engagement ring he had just bought on Narcissa's finger who blushed a light red when he stood and kissed her cheek. He looped her arm around her own, beginning to walk down the cobbled street of Diagon Alley.

"Are you looking forward to spending time with Bellatrix?" Henri asked quietly.

"It will be nice to catch up with her but knowing my sister she will get bored very easily." Narcissa replied with a smile.

"Will she ask about me?"

"Most likely but Bella will most likely see it as not important."

"Are you going to tell your other sister about our engagement?" Henri asked curiously.

Narcissa shook her head, "She cut all ties with us the day she ran off with a mudblood."

The two reached the alleyway that separated Diagon Alley from Knockturn Alley and she kissed Henri's cheek before they both parted ways. She walked along Knockturn Alley, turning her nose up at the sellers begging her to buy their products in the street until she suddenly felt a hand close over her mouth and drag her backwards into a secluded alleyway between two shops.

"Don't scream," a raspy voice whispered in her ear, "I had to see you alone."

She turned in his arms and see that it was, indeed, Lucius who had dragged her down the alleyway. Her eyes narrowed as he continued to hold her, one hand gripping her hip as the other cupped her face.

"What do you think you're doing?" Narcissa hissed.

"Catching you alone." he replied.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"To talk, we have a lot to discuss."

"I thought we discussed my feelings towards you the night of my father's party."

"We did but I have to know-"

"Know what?!"

Lucius stared down at her, she knew that look. She had seen that look many times before and she found herself frozen to the spot. His grip on her hip got tighter as he crashed his lips down on her own. She didn't respond, she knew that if she did then she would be giving into her desires too early, she had to have her plan play out long enough for her family to believe that she had tried to move on and there was also the matter of dealing with Lucius's wife. Her hands went to his chest, trying to ignore the flashbacks of what she had seen the last time she and him had seen each other naked and shoved him away. Narcissa slapped him, which only made him chuckle in amusement.

"I _love_ it when you get angry, you're unbelievably alluring when you are." he whispered.

She tried to turn to walk away but he grabbed her again, wrapping an arm around her waist as his lips went to her ear.

"Have you invited him into your bed yet, that's what I need to know!"

The breath at her ear, his lips kissing the back of her neck, "It's none of your business." she replied, trying to squirm her way to freedom.

"It is my business when he tries to take what is mine!"

"I'm not yours remember? You tossed me away last year and moved on to that Blishwick tart."

"Not my choice and I will _always_ want you, my Narcissa."

He held on to her even tighter, his free hand moving to her thigh and stroked at her through her dress. Narcissa's breathing quickened as she closed her eyes, hating herself that she could succumb to him after promising herself that she wouldn't but he still had this effect on her.

"What names does he call you when he makes love to you?" he whispered, his hand bunching up the material on her thigh.

Narcissa hummed as he lifted her skirts, unable to stop him because her mind had switched off any common sense, he continued to stroke her thigh with a gloved hand; making her moan softly.

"Does he touch you the way I do? Does he kiss you the way I kiss you?" he asked softly, pressing his lips to her pulse point and sucking lightly.

She didn't reply, she merely writhed as he continued to tease her and kiss her neck.

"I _want_ you Cissa, I _need_ you." he implored in a whisper, moving the arm that was wrapped around her waist to turn her head towards him; kissing her with such abandon that she couldn't hold back.

Narcissa met his passion, turning in his arms as he let the dress fall back down her legs and he pressed her up against the brick wall. She had missed this, missed him; only he could press the right buttons and end her torture. His hands cupped her face as he angled her head upwards to deepen the kiss when their tongues met in a frenzy of desire. She could feel his arousal pressing into her thigh through his trousers that she broke the kiss and remembered that it was his fault that they were apart. It was his fault that she wasn't the one wearing the wedding ring, it was Cecily; not her who bore the last name of 'Malfoy' and it was Andromeda who had caused this mess for her to begin with. It was her parents who had sent her away to France, none of this had been what she had wanted. Once again she pressed her hands on his chest and shoved him away from her.

"I'm more than a back alley shag Lucius Malfoy and I'm no longer yours." Narcissa hissed.

He looked at her with anger, "You _are_ mine, you always have been and always will be. If you think your French fancy is going to satisfy you then you're wrong. You need me just as much as I need you." he growled.

"I think you'll find that my 'French fancy' satisfies me plenty, thank you very much!"

The look on his face made her heart drop in her chest but she wasn't going to get into that kind of situation with Lucius until they were properly reunited. She wasn't going to have a sneaky little affair behind everyone's backs, she wasn't going to be his mistress.

"If he satisfies you, then why did _that_ nearly happen between us?" Lucius demanded.

"A moment of weakness that shan't happen again. I'm moving on with Henri, he's not a coward like you. He puts me first."

"I want to make it right between us-"

Narcissa laughed harshly, "How do you propose to do that? You can hardly erase the past year of our lives can you?"

He shook his head, "I'll find a way." Lucius vowed.

"Go back to your wife, surely she's more than willing to satisfy you. Give your father the grandson that he wants so desperately but just like me you will have a punishment; you will have to watch for the rest of your life me being someone else's wife, just like I have to watch you be someone else's husband."

"But I love you. I don't love her."

Narcissa turned to leave, "But you married her all the same." she whispered, her voice nearly breaking as she left the alleyway.

Once she was a little further down, she wiped away the tears that so desperately wanted to escape her eyes; it wouldn't do to be emotional in front of Bella, her sister didn't care for the waterworks. After a few moments she regained her composure and carried on her walk to The Cracked Cauldron but thoughts of her encounter with Lucius still played on her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**August 1973**

If there had ever come a point where Narcissa felt uncomfortable, it was now. Since her return to Black Hall in June, she had only seen Lucius and his wife a handful of times, the first being at her father's party and the most recent being visiting the Ministry to see her father at work with Henri; where she happened to make sure that she put on the perfect display of happiness. They had also run into Henri's ex-girlfriend Isabel a few times and Narcissa felt bad for deceiving the poor girl, definitely not a good match for the Rosier family; the girl worked in Flourish and Blott's when the Rosiers wanted Henri to marry a girl who didn't have to work for a living.

But today, she was sat in the living room having afternoon tea with the Malfoys. Henri sat next to her, their hands joined with the occasional glance between them where they shared a smile and out of the corner of their eyes they could see the pleased looks of her parents and the firm stare on Lucius's face which was unreadable to Henri, but to Narcissa, she knew that on the inside he was feeling possessive and jealous.

Over the course of the afternoon, she had seen the looks that Cecily had been throwing her way; trying to warn her to stay away from her husband which only made Narcissa smirk, it was evident that Cecily was paranoid and was still wondering what she had meant when the two had conversed on the night of her father's party. And the saying made it out that blondes were stereotypically stupid. She had been forced to make small talk with Lucius every now and again but she kept the atmosphere civil between them, not wanting her parents to pick up on her anger towards her former betrothed.

"So, Mr Rosier, have you and the lovely Narcissa set a wedding date yet?" Abraxas asked.

Narcissa's eyes met the grey ones of Lucius and she instantly knew that, just by his sitting up a little straighter, he was wary of what Henri's answer would be. Of course, the truth in the matter was that she and Henri were simply pretending on the notion of getting married but to everyone else(her mother especially) wanted to start helping her make the wedding plans.

"We haven't, Monsieur Malfoy. Narcissa and I have decided to have a long engagement with a wedding in two years time perhaps, we want a slow engagement where we can enjoy getting to know each other properly instead of rushing into a marriage where the two of us would be unhappy." Henri replied.

"A long engagement? How strange." Cecily piped up, amusement clear in her tone of voice.

"Yes, very strange," Narcissa agreed, turning her attention to her rival, "But as Henri says, a marriage where we take the time to get to know one another has the highest chance of us being happy throughout our married life whereas a rushed and arranged marriage may prove to be an unhappy affair."

Cecily glared at her, "And of whose marriage do you have the assumption to speak of with such knowledge?"

Narcissa smirked, "It was merely an observation that I have made, perhaps I have hit a nerve?"

Lucius met her gaze, holding it for as long as possible where she could see the amusement on her face as Cecily sheepishly turned her head away from the gazes of everyone else and sat in silence, simply drinking her tea quietly. Oh it felt good to put Cecily back in her place. At three in the afternoon, Henri and Narcissa left the living room to go for a walk in the grounds alone.

"Have you got any ideas on how to progress with our plan?" Narcissa asked quietly.

"For now we continue to make Lucius jealous, it shouldn't be too hard after your encounter with him. We also need to find a way to give Lucius the grounds for divorce, public humiliation perhaps? We put Cecily in a compromising position and make it publicly known that Lucius will have no choice but to divorce her? How does that sound?" Henri replied softly.

"The Malfoys don't exactly do public humiliation, they have contacts everywhere. They'd know about a scandal involving their family name long before it ever made it to the papers." Narcissa stated.

"We don't need it to be made to the papers then, if they have contacts like you say they do, then all we need to do is make them aware of the scandal and that should be enough."

"Anything else?"

"We continue to make the world believe we're getting closer, public displays of affection, trips in public together. After a period of months we start drifting apart and start a new token of friendship with our ex's and make them believe that our relationship is deteriorating. Once that happens and Lucius is granted his divorce, we end our 'engagement' and reunite with Lucius and Isabel." Henri replied.

Narcissa smiled, "You've really thought this through?"

Henri smiled and nodded, "Of course, we may have to change course as it may not go exactly as we would like it to but with a lot of determination and teamwork, we can get what we want." he replied positively.

Narcissa glanced round as they continued to walk, seeing a man in the distance with long, platinum blonde hair watching them and she turned back to Henri.

"We're being watched." she warned.

They both stopped walking and Henri pulled her into his arms, causing her to squeal as he placed his lips to hers and kissed her. Lucius watched from the terrace as his beloved was kissing another man, a better man. A man who wasn't him and it made him envious and angry. What he would give to beat Henri Rosier to a pulp and sweep Narcissa off her feet, take her to a private place where their families could no longer touch them and show her his undying love for her. What he would give to be married to her instead of Cecily and spend endless nights being passionate with her and trying to conceive their child. What he would give to be rid of Cecily Blishwick and her nagging, her desperate need for attention and whining. _One day_ he promised himself. One day.


	7. Chapter 7

"Nothing I try is good enough!" Cecily whined, "Abraxas, I need your help!"

Abraxas rubbed his temple and sighed heavily, when he had first thought of Cecily Blishwick as a new bride for his son he hadn't thought of the characteristics of the girl. He had simply seen that she was in her twenties and still young enough to provide his son with children of their own. Ever since his son had married this girl, she had been in Lucius's bed only once and there was only so many times that he could say 'do better' to Cecily. Her constant whining was beginning to test his patience.

"I don't know what is going on in my son's head!" Abraxas replied.

"He's still holds a candle to that Black girl! It's not fair, he's my husband-"

"My dear, stop this pathetic whining, quite frankly you are giving me a headache. Whilst he may pine for Narcissa, remember that you are the one who wears the ring, you are the one he married."

"In name only I am his wife! He keeps me at arms length and the time that we do spend alone together he makes it clear that he doesn't fancy me or desire me. How am I supposed to conceive his child when he won't willingly lie with me?"

Abraxas stared at her, "My dear, you can be incredibly dense."

Cecily looked offended, "But-"

"No buts. How about we come to a new arrangement?" Abraxas suggested.

Cecily looked confused as she tried to work out in her head what he meant and when she couldn't come up with an answer after several minutes of silence, he sighed and rolled his eyes. Abraxas moved from his armchair to sit next to her on the settee, placing a hand on her knee.

"Cecily, if you aren't sexually satisfied then you must find some other way to fulfil those needs."

"How?"

"Well you are aware that it has been some time now since my wife passed away so I have found myself alone. You and I can fulfil those needs that haven't be able to be satisfied by other company and if fate should have it, you will become pregnant with a child." Abraxas suggested.

Cecily's eyes widened, whether from shock or horror; he didn't know. But he was still able to get 'into the sack' and if Cecily was willing, he could satisfy her sexual needs which would satisfy his needs to stop hearing her whine and complain to him about the son who wouldn't sleep with her. In fact, if she agreed it would be a comfort to him to keep her happy because then he wouldn't get the constant headaches that he usually got from their private conversations.

"You mean, you and I begin an affair?" Cecily asked.

Abraxas nodded, "Lucius would never have to know." he muttered.

"But he would if he found out that I was pregnant with your child." Cecily stated.

"Not my child. A child. The child you can claim as his. Of course, Lucius inherited his blonde locks from his mother but mostly he resembles myself. So if any child that would come out of our little affair, the child would resemble Lucius."

"What about if the child has brown hair?" Cecily asked, confused.

Abraxas rolled his eyes again, "You have brown hair my dear." he muttered.

"And how would I claim it as his child if he doesn't lie with me?" Cecily questioned.

"Simple. Around the time you should be ovulating, I will drug Lucius where he will pass out. I will place him in his room and you will spend the night asleep in his bed. When he wakes in the morning, you will simply tell him that you spent the night together but make sure you act in a way that makes him believe it was romantic. The last thing we need is for him to find out about this plan."

Cecily frowned slightly, "But Lucius isn't stupid, he'd work it out. Wouldn't he?"

"Not if I have anything to do with it. Just do as I tell you and it will go quite smoothly." Abraxas instructed.

His daughter-in-law nodded, "Okay. I'll do it. I'll do anything to prevent myself from losing Lucius." she replied softly.

Abraxas smiled, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her lightly. When he pulled away, she looked a little shocked. Standing up, he pulled her to her feet and said, "The sooner we start this, the sooner you will secure Lucius." he stated.

As they both climbed the stairs, Cecily hoped that Abraxas was correct. Her father-in-law had always said that if she got herself pregnant with her husband's child then Lucius would focus on her and the baby and there would be less chance of him running back to the Black girl but in order to get pregnant, she had to have a sexual relationship and her husband wasn't exactly a willing participant to engage in that with her. This was the only way to ensure that she would be able to secure Lucius for the rest of their married life.

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 **A/N: Apologies for no Lucius/Narcissa or Henri/Narcissa moments in this chapter and apologies for the long wait in an update. I'll be trying to do this story on a weekly basis soon and I will let you know in the next chapter what day you can expect the chapter. It may be after the week commencing the 14th September as at the moment university has taken over my life as my exam is in less than two weeks so I've been busy with exam prep and revision.**

 **So I'd love to hear what you lovely readers think of this chapter, Abraxas and Cecily beginning a sexual relationship eh? I know this story is rated M and I've already done a 'detailed' encounter between Lucius/Narcissa already but while I wanted this thing between Abraxas and Cecily to happen, the thought of writing a detailed encounter between the two of them made me want to vomit.**

 **Reviews please :) I'm hoping to update again next week!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter. In this chapter you'll be introduced to the love of Henri's life and sadly no Lucius or Narcissa again but the plot will continue with them in the next chapter.**

 **As always, please enjoy and keep reviewing.**

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Isabel Durant was a half-French, half-English witch born to two parents who despised each other. Her father lived in Paris half the time and had remarried when she was twelve and by the time she had graduated from Beauxbatons two years ago, she had met a man named Henri Rosier. For the first time in her life, she felt loved and wanted by somebody; she wasn't being passed between her parents or cast aside because her father favoured her new siblings, Henri showed her what it was like to be loved completely.

After two years of dating, they lived in London, happily whilst she worked at Flourish and Blott's and Henri lived off his family's fortune but all of that came to an end when Henri received a summons back to Paris. His father wanted to see him, it was time for Henri to find someone to marry, someone suitable in the eyes of the Rosier family. Henri had taken her with him and presented her to his father, mother, brother and two sisters but the meeting had gone downhill. She had no wealth, her parents were divorced and she had no siblings and therefore no connections to other wealthy pure-blood families. After being threatened to be disowned by his family, Henri had no choice but to end their relationship and all hopes of a future engagement, home, marriage and children with Henri Rosier had vanished.

So she had returned to her little flat in London and carried on working in her job at Flourish and Blott's. It wasn't a glamorous job, having to sort books out in alphabetical order, making sure new releases were advertised and placed in the window as well as manning the till and working overtime if one of her colleagues were ill but it paid the bills and put food on her table. Once or twice she had seen Henri come into the shop with his new fiancé but not much was said between her and the love of her life.

It was on a particular hot day at the end of August when she was sorting out the bookshelves when the shop door opened with the bell sounding; alerting the staff that they had a customer despite the slowness of business that day. Isabel checked her watch, smiling to herself that it was time for her lunch break when she stepped down the ladder and turned, that smile of hers fading when she saw Henri stood in front of her.

"Good Afternoon Isabel." Henri greeted.

"Hello Henri." Isabel replied.

"Can I take you out for lunch?" Henri asked.

She bit her lip, wouldn't it be inappropriate for her to go out to lunch with a man she was in love with when he was engaged to another? What would his fiancé have to say about the matter? Should she agree, or tell him to leave her in peace?

"I don't think-"

"Ah Isabel."

Turning around, she smiled at Samuel who was her boss at the shop.

"I was about to take my lunch break." Isabel said politely.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to go home early? Business is slow today, I don't need four of you working." Samuel offered.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Isabel replied brightly.

Samuel smiled at her and walked away, leaving her alone with Henri once again.

"Now you definitely have no excuses." Henri stated.

Sighing, she went into the back room and tied on her cloak and picked up her bag. When she bade goodbye to her colleagues and made for the door, she saw that Henri was waiting outside for her.

"What do you want Henri?" she asked, walking down the cobbled street of Diagon Alley.

"To talk." Henri replied.

"About?"

"About what you must have read in the paper, it mustn't have been easy for you to see."

Stopping in her tracks, she turned around once more. Her brown eyes glistening with tears that wanted to escape so easily but she wouldn't let them. Of course it was hard for her, when she had read the wedding and engagement announcements in the paper she had seen her ex-boyfriend's name next to one Narcissa Black; not that she knew much about the family. But what she did know was that the Blacks were one of the oldest pure-blood families in Britain and knowing what she did about Henri's family; Narcissa Black was _definitely_ a good match for the Rosier family.

"What is there to say Henri? You ended our relationship a year ago and moved on. You made a decision and I understand what family means to you, I don't blame you for siding with them. Do you want to know how I feel? Do you want to hear that it broke my heart that the man I love is engaged to another? Do you want me to break down in your arms and cry over the fact that we can't ever be together because of what you face if you do get back together with me? Well I'm not going to do any of those things. Now Henri, your wife-to-be is very beautiful and she has the right family name, she isn't a nobody like me. So please, have a wonderful life with Narcissa Black and leave me to move on and live my life in peace." Isabel implored.

Tucking a stray brown lock behind her ear, Isabel turned and left a speechless Henri stood outside the Menagerie and carried on walking down Diagon Alley. It hadn't been a long encounter with her ex but what did occur between them had left her feeling shaky and in need of a drink to calm down. Isabel didn't know what Henri had wanted to say to her but she didn't want to hear it. It was time that he left her in peace and allowed her to forget him and move on with her life. Everything that they had shared was gone and she hoped that he would take her words to heart and forget about her. It was time to let go.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Just a note, this story will now be updated between every Mon-Wed depending on circumstances. Please Review.**

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A part of her had wished that her mother hadn't insisted on sending her to her father's office at the Ministry because he had forgotten his lunch but this was a good time to see if Lucius was in the Ministry today. Henri was off trying to sort out a friendship with Isabel and so she had agreed with her 'fiancé' that she would try to do the same with Lucius, it was within their plan after all.

She had walked through the atrium and gotten the lifts up to her father's office, knocking on the door and entering and seeing that it was just as luck would have it, Lucius was sat having a conversation with her father.

"Ahh Narcissa, what brings you here?" Cygnus greeted happily.

Closing the door behind her, she kissed her father's cheek and handed over a neatly wrapped pair of sandwiches.

"Mother was quite insistent that I bring the lunch you forgot." Narcissa replied.

"Thank you dear, I'm quite a lucky man to have you for my daughter." Cygnus stated.

"I quite agree with you Mr Black. Any man is lucky to have Narcissa as theirs." Lucius added.

Blue eyes met grey and once again she saw the love that he held for her there, trying to rip her apart with guilt that she had so far rejected all his attempts at telling her how much he still loved her.

"What are your plans this afternoon, my dear daughter?"

Turning back to look at her father, she smiled.

"I was about to go out to lunch."

"With Henri?"

She shook her head, "Henri is having lunch with a friend and I thought perhaps I'd like to do the same. Lucius, would you like to join me?" Narcissa asked.

Meeting his gaze again, he looked surprised at her invitation. His grey eyes bore into her blue ones intensely, he was questioning her silently as to what her motives were for this invitation and she blushed a light pink as his eyes showed the same desire as they had when they had been alone in the alleyway all those weeks ago.

"Have a nice meal you two." Cgynus said, unwrapping his sandwiches.

Narcissa and Lucius left her father's office and walked along the corridor to where the lifts were. Lucius pressed the the button and the two waited, an awkward silence building between the two of them.

"May I ask why you felt nice enough to eat lunch with you?" Lucius asked.

"We used to be very good friends, I was hoping that there would be a chance to have that once more with you." Narcissa replied.

The doors pinged open and they stepped inside the empty lift, pressing the button for the atrium. Lucius looked at her, still with the same look of burning desire that he pulled out his wand and tapped the emergency stop button just as the lift had closed the doors and began it's descent to the atrium. The lift jolted at the emergency stop, causing Narcissa to fall into Lucius's waiting arms. She stared up at him through narrowed eyes as he turned them around so that he had her pinned to the wall and his head merely centimetres from hers.

"Now I wonder what we could get up to in here?" Lucius whispered seductively.

Her breathing caught in her chest, coming out of her raggedly. Why was it that he always had this effect on her?

"We could work up a real appetite after I show you the passion that you're missing."

She closed her eyes as his lips came into contact with her neck, kissing her softly, teasingly. It was when he did things like this that she lost all sense of reason because he pushed all other thoughts out of her head.

"If you want our friendship back..." he whispered hotly into her ear, "You can have it but I'm not going to make it easy for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she hissed, opening her eyes and meeting his once more.

"It means, my sweet, that whenever we have a private moment alone, I'm going to make you squirm with desire. You might be insistent on marrying this French guy but before you do, you'll give into your urges and pounce. I'm not going to be the one to make the first move, our little moment in Knockturn Alley proved that me pushing it wasn't going to work. So, I'll be your friend if that's what you want for the time being but I will steal a kiss, a touch, a look every now and again but you won't expect it."

"You're so sure of yourself?"

Lucius laughed darkly but nodded.

"Before long Narcissa, you'll be mine in every possible way. I won't give up on that, I'll find a way to divorce my wife and have you in her place. We've already missed out on so much time together, a little longer won't hurt."

Narcissa glared at him as their noses touched but she didn't push him away. It was like her mind was screaming at her to remember the plan that she had made with Henri but her body's reaction to Lucius's words and actions were another that overpowered her mind.

"Sooner or later, Narcissa, you'll give in." Lucius vowed, moving his head and his lips kissing the corner of her mouth.

She couldn't stop the moan that betrayed her which only caused him to smirk in triumph at her. He tapped his wand on the emergency stop and the lift began it's descent again as Lucius stepped away from her and placed his wand back inside his robes. It was as if nothing had occurred between them as the lift reached the atrium and they stepped out of the lift, deciding to go to The Leaky Cauldron for some lunch and a catch up; as if they were simply old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time.

How he could act like the tension between them wasn't there, Narcissa didn't know. All she knew as they chatted over various things that were going on in their lives was that it was going to be increasingly difficult for her from this moment onwards to carry on with the plan when Lucius had promised that she wouldn't expect it when he finally made his next move with her.


	10. Chapter 10

**September 1973**

So far it was proving to be rather difficult to maintain a friendship with Lucius. Of course, he was always good at putting on an act when they were surrounded by others; always being polite and conversing with her and he even went as far as to suggest that she and Henri should dine at the manor one night with all their old friends but whenever nobody was watching or they happened to have a few minutes alone, he would reach out and touch her hand or sweep the hair away from her shoulder so that he could lightly moved his index finger down the curve of her neck which made her shiver. And then the looks he would throw in her direction with those smouldering grey eyes of his roaming over her body which only made her blush at the thought that she knew he was imagining her without any clothes on.

Narcissa counted her lucky stars that so far, she had only been alone with Lucius for a matter of minutes but she knew that her ex-lover was trying to find a way in which they could be alone for more than those few minutes. But tonight she was dreading the party at Malfoy Manor. Firstly, she didn't know what the occasion was for Lucius to throw a party but she knew the old Hogwarts crowd would be in attendance. So far she knew that her cousin Evan, her brother-in-law Rabastan Lestrange, Neil Greengrass, Jemima, Amelia Bulstrode and Bella and Rod would be going to the party and possibly staying the night. Lucius had extended her invitation to include Henri but her fiancé had dinner plans with Isabel; trying to win his ex-lover over and she had agreed that perhaps going to the party alone would be an opportunity to further a friendship with Lucius.

Upon her arrival at the manor, she found that she was the first guest there. The house elf took her cloak to hang up as Lucius greeted her in the living room, gesturing for her to sit down whilst the elf poured her a glass of wine.

"Is Cecily going to be in attendance tonight?" Narcissa asked.

Lucius shook his head as he took to the empty seat on the sofa next to her.

"Cecily is dining with friends tonight and spending the night with them and my father is dining with some business associates and staying at the London flat. So we shall be unobserved." Lucius replied quietly, shifting closer to her.

Narcissa snatched the glass of wine from the elf and downed it in three large mouthfuls. It was going to be a long night if he kept looking at her the way he currently was and if she was going to avoid his advances.

"A night alone with friends, just what you need." Narcissa muttered.

His fingers came into contact with her neck as he swept the hair back over her shoulder, his eyes staring at her with that same smouldering look that she was beginning to again become accustomed to.

"I could always cancel the party and have you all to myself." Lucius suggested with a smirk.

Narcissa rolled her eyes, "When will you understand that I simply want us to be friends and that I will be marrying Henri?" she asked.

Lucius chuckled throatily, "You haven't set a date for your wedding to Henri Rosier yet and in the mean time I told you that you could have my friendship but I wouldn't make it easy for you." he replied.

She inhaled deeply as she felt his hands pulling the hem of her dress up from her knees to mid thigh and stroked the skin softly. Lucius leaned in closer to her, continuing the teasing pace of his fingers as his lips met the pulse point of her neck and kissed her there hotly. Her eyes closed and she moaned softly, dropping her empty wine glass to the wooden floor and hands holding on to his shoulders as he leaned towards her; pushing her back on to the cushions behind her.

Her resolve was weakening, her anger over the last few weeks towards him was fading and she cursed herself as she forgot the plan that she had spent a lot of time making with Henri. Lucius had been right when they had had that conversation in the lift; he wasn't making this easy for her. She had been squirming with desire for her ex-lover and having him this close to her, kissing the places that she had thought he would have forgotten that she liked to be kissed.

Lucius stopped kissing her, looking deeply into her eyes and placing his hands on either cheek to cup her face. His lips were centimetres from hers and his body pressed as close as possible into her own.

"Spend the night with me." he breathed.

"I-I c-can't." she replied, moving her hands to push him off of her.

Lucius sat up and sighed, "Narcissa, how long are we going to keep this up?" he asked.

She frowned, "Keep what up?"

"This. Pretending that you don't want me when it's obvious that you do. I'm not someone that likes to be played and I'm not someone who will give up easily. You should know that by now."

Narcissa gulped, her plan was hitting the rocks. Before she could reply, the elf announced that the other guests had arrived so Lucius left her in the living room so that he could greet the other guests. She accepted another drink from the house elf, it was going to be a long night.

ooOoo

The party ended around one o'clock the following morning with several of the guests drunk and had fallen asleep in the living room. Bella and Rod had left the party to go upstairs around eleven and they hadn't returned, it was everyone's guess as to what the two of them were up to. Jemima was carried up the staircase around midnight by Neil having fallen asleep on Narcissa's shoulder.

Rabastan had hooked up with Amelia Bulstrode and the two were something in the grounds making rather loud sounds of pleasure as Evan snored in front of the fireplace in the living room. Only she and Lucius remained awake in the entrance hall. Narcissa pulled on her cloak and went to open the door when she felt Lucius's hand cover her own.

"If you think I'm going to let you apparate home in this state then you really are foolish." Lucius whispered.

Narcissa raised an eyebrow, "I'm going home. To Henri." she stated.

"No you're not. You will be staying here tonight and sleeping off the drink you have consumed. If I allowed you to apparate home in this state you would be splinched."

She rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him, planting a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you for the invitation and lovely evening." she whispered.

He backed her against the door, those grey eyes of his staring at her; telling her that she wasn't leaving the manor.

"Stay the night, it will be safer for you."

"I have to get home."

The next thing she knew, he grasped her shoulders roughly and felt him apparating the two of them from the entrance hall. When the surprise of his unexpected mode of travel cleared, she looked around and found that they were stood in the little cottage in the Malfoy grounds. Lucius took out his wand and she heard the door locking before he took to one of the armchairs.

"How dare you!" Narcissa hissed, hand going to her own pocket to reach for her wand.

But her wand wasn't in there. Lucius chuckled amusingly as he held it up and pocketed it inside his robes with his own.

"If you want it back, you'll have to come here and get it."

Narcissa, eyes glaring at him with anger, strode across the room and tried to prise his robes open; only to have her wrists grasped by Lucius and be pulled into his lap. His lips immediately captured her own and it only took her second to give into the heated touch his lips made against hers and opened her mouth fully to him; tongues teasing each other in an erotic rhythm. She tried to wriggle free of his grasp and felt the arousal through his trousers as he continued to kiss her.

Eventually, his hands moved to her backside, gripping tightly as he began to rise from the chair. Narcissa wrapped her legs around his waist as they continued to kiss heatedly until she felt herself being lowered on to soft sheets of the bed. She broke her mouth away from his and tried to catch her breath.

"Do you want this?" Lucius asked her, his voice hoarse.

He was giving her the opportunity to walk away and she knew that she should. As far as the rest of the world was concerned she was promised to another man and she shouldn't be passionately kissing her ex-fiance for any reason. But she was tired of fighting the urge of not being with Lucius.

"Just once." she whispered.

Satisfied with her answer, he covered her lips with his own and resumed kissing her as passionately as he could and thoughts of his wife and her fiancé were pushed to the back of their minds.

ooOoo

Cecily sat by the fireplace at the Malfoy flat in London, having told her husband that she was dining and spending the night at a friend's house. Of course, Lucius had no reason to not believe her but that didn't stop her from feeling guilty about what she was really up to.

She and Abraxas spent three nights together a week when Lucius was out of the manor; trying to conceive a child in which she could pass off as one that she had conceived with her husband. The plan was set. The moment she received a positive result from the pregnancy spell, she would drug her husband's evening wine at dinner and then spend the night with him in his bed. The next morning, Lucius would wake with a hangover and she would convince him that they had slept together. All of this was to serve the purpose of making Lucius pay more attention to her and the child and stop him from having feelings for Narcissa Black.

"My dear, come back to bed. Second time in a night would have more chances of conceiving an heir." Abraxas called from the bedroom.

But she didn't answer as she pointed the tip of her wand at her stomach. She was usually regular but her period was over a week late. There had been no other symptoms of pregnancy other than a late period.

"Gravida revelare."

A friend had told her about the simple spell, you had to simply point the tip of a wand at your stomach and say the incantation. If the tip came back as blue, it meant you were pregnant. If the tip came back as green it meant that you weren't.

Cecily closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening them again. As she looked down, her eyes widened. Light blue shone back at her.

"Cecily, are you coming back to bed?!" Abraxas grumbled, holding a sheet around his waist as he stood in the doorway that led to the bedroom from the sitting room.

She looked up at her father-in-law and gulped.

"Abraxas, our goal has been accomplished. I am pregnant."

ooOoo

She didn't know what the time was. All she knew was that after being blissfully satisfied by Lucius, she was laying in his arms in the bed where she had lost her virginity to him. They had yet to go to sleep and nothing had been said since they had groaned each other's names at their climax. It wasn't until Narcissa winced at the ray of sunlight peaked through a gap in the curtains that she realised it was sunrise.

Narcissa made to move, only to be stopped by Lucius who propped himself up and hovered over her.

"Where are you going?" Lucius asked.

"Home. I need to shower and get something to eat before I spend the next few hours in bed catching up on much needed sleep." Narcissa replied.

"I think you should stay here with me."

Narcissa smiled sadly, "This can't happen again." she whispered, her hand running through his hair.

"Why ever not?"

"Because you are married as I will be soon."

"Henri said that you two will have a long engagement, that you weren't in a rush." Lucius pointed out.

"But the day will come eventually and I won't be your lover. I won't be your dirty little secret Lucius." Narcissa stated.

Lucius cupped her face and gazed into her eyes deeply.

"I told you, I'll divorce my wife and have you in her place. Nothing has changed for me. I still love you, I still want you and need you. Narcissa, you wouldn't have slept with me if you didn't feel the same way."

"Even if you could divorce Cecily, your father still remains a threat. Do you honestly believe that he would allow you to marry me when he was behind the breaking of our engagement?"

"I'm a Malfoy, I'll take what I want."

Narcissa wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly before trying to get out of the bed but Lucius pinned her arms to her sides and rolled on top of her.

"I'll find a way." he whispered.

"This can't happen again." Narcissa stated.

Lucius raised an eyebrow, "You say that now. But...if we don't leave this room...it still counts as the first time." he whispered against her lips.

All she did was giggle in reply as his lips crashed down on hers and hands roamed her naked body, showing her just how much he was going to do everything in his power to find a way out of his marriage to be with her.


	11. Chapter 11

Lucius awoke that morning, wincing in pain. He opened his eyes slowly to adjust to September sunlight that was bursting through the gap in the curtains. As he sat up, he looked around his bedroom, he couldn't even remember how he had gotten to his room. The last thing that he could recall was having a few brandies with his father in the study before blacking out, had he truly drunk that much? Usually he had a much better tolerance for drinking alcohol and the last time he had been this hungover had been the day he had been forced to let Narcissa go.

But it was as he heard a sleepy sigh, he turned his head to the left. Beside him lay a brunette woman, still sleeping and apparently wearing nothing. The woman he had been forced to take as his wife and the one who he despised because she stood in the way of him being with the one woman he truly wanted to be with. Cecily.

Cecily had her own room to sleep in, why was she sleeping in his bed, naked? He had only consummated their marriage on their wedding night because he had been forced into it, all of her other attempts to entice him into making love to her had failed miserably. He didn't find her appealing in any way whatsoever.

He moved from the bed as fast as he could, the movements causing Cecily to awaken from her deep sleep and smile at him seductively.

"Morning husband." Cecily purred.

Lucius looked at her in disgust.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing in my bed?" he hissed.

Cecily pouted, "We spent the night together, it wouldn't be the first time." she replied.

"I don't believe you."

"Why else would I be here? The other times I've had to sneak out whilst you were still sleeping, I know it's difficult for you to make love to me."

"Don't imply that I'm impotent you hag!" Lucius hissed.

Cecily giggled, "I would never suggest such a thing. But you don't find me attractive, that much is very clear. So when we need to be together to create an heir, you place an erotic substance in your brandy to make the act more appealing to you and I can't say that I complain."

Lucius felt sick and not from the amount of alcohol he must have consumed the night before. The thought of him taking anything to make love to Cecily make him run towards the bathroom door and empty the contents of his stomach down the toilet bowl. When the unpleasantness passed, he sat on the bathroom floor cradling his head in his hands as Cecily stood in the doorway.

"Lucius, our marriage isn't perfect but it's necessary. We have to do these duties and it's my own fault that you've had to discover the extent we have to go to in order to have a child, to have an heir but you need not worry any more."

He looked up at her, still trying to find a clause in which she was lying. This woman he had been forced to marry and Narcissa weren't the only ones he had a sexual past with. During his school days at Hogwarts, there had been a few girls older than him who he used for his teenage urges but with Narcissa it had been different. So why would he need to use an erotic substance or potion to make love to his wife? Did he really find her that unappealing? Was this substance so powerful that he could never remember the times that he had supposedly made love to Cecily?

"You sneak out on all these supposed 'other times'?" he questioned her.

Cecily nodded sadly, "I leave because it's the best thing for us. You're so hostile, so cold toward me. All I want is to show you how much I love you but you're never interested. That's why we have to go to such extremities. But we needn't do this any more, because we have achieved our goal, achieved our purpose."

Lucius frowned up at her, remaining where he sat on the floor.

"What purpose is that, dear 'wife'. I have no purpose with you." Lucius growled.

Cecily sniffed, as if he had hurt her feelings. Lucius watched as she crumbled to the bathroom floor and tears fell down her cheeks.

"Lucius, I've...been wanting to tell you for a few weeks now...it was during on of our times that I had to sneak from your bed before you woke...after a night where you had taken your substance...but I'm carrying our child. Your child. Your heir." Cecily whispered.

His heart was beating faster in his chest, the pounding sensation in his head also got louder and faster. Everything he had been trying to plan...trying to find a way to divorce his wife so that he could finally be with Narcissa was now for nothing. Cecily was having their child and there was nothing he could do about it.

"You...You're pregnant?" Lucius stammered.

Cecily nodded sadly, "I had hoped you would be happier...as happy as I am about the news. I'm going to give you a son." she sobbed.

It was then that Lucius realised, as he sat in shock in his en-suite bathroom with his wife sobbing, that it only took less than half an hour to ruin someone's life. Cecily was pregnant with their child and he had to stand by her and his heir for the rest of his life. The pictures he had formed in his head of him and Narcissa being married, happy and having his children were gone and replaced with images of a miserable marriage to this brunette woman who sat opposite him and a child who would know just how much he would resent it and it's mother because it had gotten in the way of the life he wanted more than anything.


	12. Chapter 12

**A / N:** Apologies that I haven't updated this story for a while, I've been a little uninspired with it as well as having had a very busy few months recently. However, I intend to get this story finished by the end of the year so the next update will hopefully come quite soon.

As always, thank you for sticking with this and please continue to read and review.

* * *

 **October 1973**

The Leaky Cauldron was crowded with customers, all nattering away as witches and wizards enjoyed a drink or a meal. Narcissa kept the hood of her cloak up, walking through the crowded bar and up the stairs to where the guests stayed in the pub's rooms. She was here to meet someone who desperately wanted to talk to her about something, and she could understand why they had chosen The Leaky Cauldron as the place to meet. Due to the pub's crowds, she could walk in unnoticed by anyone who might have been watching the two of them.

When she reached the corridor she turned left and headed down to the end of the corridor, knocking on the door right at the end three times. The door opened and she was quickly pulled inside the room and the door shut silently behind her.

"I got your letter, what is it?" Narcissa asked.

Lucius rose from where he had been sitting on the edge of the bed and stood up to face her. Narcissa tried to smile but the look on his face told her that he hadn't asked her here to have a pleasant and lovely conversation.

"I wanted you to hear it from me, before it goes public." Lucius replied, his voice full of resentment and bitterness.

Narcissa frowned, "What is it?" she questioned.

Lucius took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily, his grey eyes coming to a close as he said the words she never wanted to hear from his lips.

"Cecily is pregnant, she says it's my child."

Narcissa felt a crushing feeling in her chest, it was as if someone had wrapped their hand around her heart and were trying to stop it from beating.

"You seem unsure." she pointed out.

"Cecily claims that in order for me to have relations with her, I need to drug myself in order to find the act more appealing. She says that it makes me forget what occurs between us because she always leaves my bed before I wake the following morning." Lucius said, his tone cold.

"So why did you want me to know?" Narcissa asked.

Lucius opened his eyes, grey aflame with the answer she already knew; he loved her and he didn't want her to be hurt by this news if she heard it elsewhere.

"After everything we have shared and have been through together, I didn't want you to hear about the pregnancy from a third party. You deserve to hear it from me." Lucius said quietly.

"How considerate. But there is nothing between us anymore, you know that." Narcissa shot back coldly.

With his eyes turning angry at her remark, he stepped towards her and placed his hands tightly on the tops of her arms. Grey eyes bore into her blue ones and she felt rooted to the spot where she stood, Narcissa always knew what followed when he was angry or annoyed.

"Do yourself a favour and stop lying to yourself. You know full well that just because there are some obstacles in our way, we will end up together." Lucius growled.

Narcissa glared up at him.

"You created the greatest one, you married Cecily Blishwick and now she is giving you what your father always wanted from you; an heir." Narcissa cried back.

"I told you after we spent the night together after the little gathering at the manor that I would find a way to get a divorce from Cecily!" Lucius snapped.

"And how are you going to manage that now?!" Narcissa shouted, "She's carrying your child. Your father would never allow you to break apart the future of the Malfoy family just so you can have what you want!"

"The child will still be well cared for. It will be classed as my heir until we have one of our own!"

Narcissa laughed harshly, "Say hypothetically that we did get married, what if Cecily gives you a son? Any child I gave birth to would come behind this one!"

"I don't know how it's going to work, Cissa. I don't want this child, not with her. It should have been you that I married, it should be you who is pregnant with my child right now."

Narcissa couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks, despite even trying to close her eyes to keep them in but she couldn't. His declaration that he wanted her to the one he was experiencing a pregnancy with was too much for her to deal with right now. But before she could open her eyes and respond to him, Lucius placed his lips to hers and started to kiss her.

She responded, she couldn't help it. Her hands curled into the front of his robes and pulled him to her as close as she could, her lips moving against his as passionately as his were moving against hers. Lucius placed his hands into her hair, running it through his fingers until one arm locked itself round her back and began to pull her as he moved backwards to the bed. As he sat down and pulled her to straddle his lap, something clicked inside her head. As much as she wanted to rip his clothes off and spend the afternoon making love to him as much as possible, she knew that if she did it would be too painful for her to let go. Pulling away from his lips, she breathed heavily; trying to regain her normal pace.

"What's the matter?" Lucius asked with a rough voice.

Narcissa looked away from him.

"I c-can't do this." she whispered, her voice breaking.

He cupped her cheek and tried to pull her face back to his but she wouldn't let him.

"Why not?" he questioned.

"If I do...I won't be able to let you go." Narcissa admitted quietly.

"I don't want you to let me go." he said to her, his soft voice trying to soothe her breaking heart.

But Narcissa shook her head and got up from his lap.

"We can't, ever again, Lucius. Go home to your wife and let me get on with my life." Narcissa pleaded.

Lucius scoffed in disbelief.

"So...just like that...it's over?"

Narcissa nodded and headed to the door, she refused to be his mistress when she wanted nothing more than to be his wife; she wouldn't settle for anything less. If she couldn't be Mrs Malfoy, she wouldn't have him in any other way.

"Goodbye Lucius." she whispered.

Her hand went around the door handle and she opened the door, exiting the room as quickly as she could and shut the door behind her.

ooOoo

Sitting in front of the fireplace, Narcissa felt a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders and someone sit next to her. Looking to her right, she gave Henri a small smile of gratitude before turning her attention back to the orange flames.

"How was your evening with Isabel?" Narcissa asked.

"Quite pleasant, she's accepted my plea for another chance at a relationship, although she feels guilty for stealing me away from you and I feel guilty for deceiving her." Henri replied.

"It's only natural to feel that way." she said flatly.

Henri frowned, "What's the matter? Did your visit with Lucius not go as you hoped?" he asked.

Narcissa shook her head, wiping away another tear that had fallen down her cheek.

"He said that he would find a way for us to be together, that he would find a way to divorce his wife and I believed it. When I received his letter asking me to meet him, I thought it would be the confirmation that I would finally get to be with the man I loved once more, but I was wrong." Narcissa cried.

Henri wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer, hugging her tightly as he rested his head on top of hers.

"What happened?" Henri questioned.

"Lucius told me that his wife is pregnant with his child."

"But...you said that he told you during your night together that he had only been with Cecily once."

Narcissa nodded.

"Apparently he has to be drugged in order to have relations with her." Narcissa said, more tears flowing down her cheeks.

Henri laughed, causing Narcissa to look up at him with a questionable look in her eye.

"From what you've told me about your past with Lucius, he doesn't need any help in the bedroom." Henri clarified.

Narcissa wiped her cheeks dry and sniffed.

"He didn't. Never with me."

"And why would a nineteen year old need to drug himself in order to have relations with his wife? It's not like he's an old man." Henri pointed out.

Narcissa frowned.

"Are you suggesting...that Cecily might be lying about something?" she asked.

Henri shrugged, "She might know how much Lucius wants you and that can make a woman jealous and desperate." he answered.

"Desperate enough to seek attention elsewhere and then lie to cover her tracks?"

"It's a possibility. If my theory turns out to be correct, we'll have just what we need to ensure that you do end up with Lucius Malfoy."

Narcissa's heart began to beat a little faster in her chest as she and Henri began to discuss the ways in which they could find out if Cecily was deceiving Lucius. She could only hope that Henri's theory that Cecily was lying was correct, Lucius didn't deserve to be deceived in this way. And maybe, just maybe, Cecily may have just handed her everything she needed to ensure that she got everything back that she had lost just over a year ago.


	13. Chapter 13

**December 1973**

It had been three months since Narcissa had bade a permanant goodbye to Lucius at The Leaky Cauldron and in that time, a lot had changed. The Malfoys had made the announcement of a pregnancy and she had been forced to go to the party that Abraxas had held in honour of a new grandchild and the entire time that she had been at Malfoy Manor, Cecily had been rubbing her nose in it. She was beginning to feel like she was failing. Henri's theory that Cecily had sought the conception of a child from another man was sound; Lucius had told her that he had only slept with Cecily once and that had been their wedding night. But their initial investigation into proving Henri's theory to be true hadn't gone as they had hoped. They had yet to find evidence that Cecily had been having sexual relations outside of her marriage.

It was a week before Christmas, a frosty and cold morning that every fireplace in Black Hall was lit and burning to try and warm the old house up. Narcissa was sat in the dining room eating breakfast with Henri when the family owl dropped a letter on the table. Henri put down the morning paper, picking up the envelope and passed it to her.

"Who is it from?" Henri asked.

Looking at the handwriting, Narcissa frowned. She hadn't received correspondence from Lucius since she had ended things for good three months ago.

"Lucius." she replied quietly, tearing open the letter.

 _Dear Narcissa,_

 _Forgive the unexpectedness of this letter, I know you will be surprised to see a letter from me as we have not said more than two words to each other since I told you that Cecily was expecting my child. However, as of late I have been thinking things over in my mind and I need to speak with someone about my troubles. I cannot speak to my father about what is bothering me and due to the nature of my thoughts, I cannot confide in any of my friends. I trust only you to speak to about this matter._

 _I would like you to meet me at my office at the ministry at eleven o'clock today, if convenient. Come alone and tell no-one that you are coming._

 _Yours,_

 _Lucius_

Taking her wand out of the pocket of her robes, she tapped the letter and placed it on her empty plate; watching it burn and fall into ashes. Henri watched as the parchment curled and burned until it only resembled blackened ashes and then he met her stare, looking at her in confusion.

"May I ask what that was about?" Henri questioned.

"I need you to cover for me today for a couple of hours." Narcissa requested.

"Of course, but-"

"He didn't explain in the letter why he wants to see me but it must be important because he trusts only me to speak to about it."

"Will you share with me what it was all about upon your return?"

Narcissa smiled slightly and nodded, rising from her chair to head back to her bedroom to change into something a little more suitable for a secret meeting with her ex-lover.

ooOoo

Knocking quietly on the office door, Narcissa took a breath before she opened it and quickly closed it behind her. Letting down her hood, she met the stare of Lucius and took a few minutes to look at him. He looked like a man with a lot of worry, the tiredness present with the dark shadows under his eyes and the way he used to look at her as if playing some sort of private game with her was gone. His blonde hair was shorter, tied back behind his head as he tapped his snake cane against the wooden desk.

"You came?" Lucius asked.

Narcissa nodded, remaining where she stood.

"Your letter seemed quite urgent." she replied.

"It is urgent. I cannot talk to anyone else about this matter besides you."

She watched as he rose from his seat, resting the cane on top of the desk as he walked around to stand in front of her; before he began pacing up and down in a straight line. Seeing him like this, it made her heart ache and pound in fear; she had never seen something bother him this much before.

"What is it?" Narcissa asked.

But he didn't answer her. He continued to pace until she grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him back into reality; looking up at him pleadingly.

"Lucius, what is it?"

He sighed heavily, pulling her into his arms and holding her there tightly.

"What I would give to go back to a year ago and tell my father to shove it up his backside!"

"You can't mess with time turners, Lucius."

"Don't you think I know that?!" he growled, "It was a mistake. All of it. I should have fought for us, Narcissa."

Narcissa tried to wriggle free of his grasp.

"Is this why you asked me here?" she demanded, "To talk about the past? I thought there was something wrong!"

Releasing her, he sighed again.

"There is," he confirmed, "It's Cecily. She's told me that she's only fourteen weeks but I believe that the child she carries is not my child!"

Hearing the words come out of his mouth was something else entirely.

"What makes you think so?" Narcissa questioned.

"She's further along than she told me."

"Could it be possible she got the dates mixed up?"

Lucius shook his head.

"No. She specifically told me fourteen weeks. Yet her pregnancy notes that she failed to hide in a good place state that she's seventeen. And then there's the fact she claims that I have to drug myself in order to lie with her."

He turned to face her again.

"I don't know what to do, Narcissa. I am one hundred percent certain that I have only slept with her the once. If I confront her, she'll lie. I cannot talk to my father about it because he is the one who pushed for this marriage to happen." he said, uncertainty present in his voice.

Feeling her heart break at how he had never been so confused before, she walked the gap between the two of them and embraced him tightly. It didn't matter to her that he was being 'un-Malfoy' like at this moment.

"Lucius, I've been thinking about this myself." she admitted in his ear.

He pulled away from her, looking down at her, confused.

"About what?"

"Whether Cecily conceived your child or another man's. You're a young man who has quite a...thirst for-"

"Only for you." Lucius said hoarsely.

Before she could process what was happening, Lucius started to kiss her hungrily. Closing her eyes and groaning into the kiss, she pressed herself against him and matched the pace he set with his lips, his tongue teasing her own until she pulled away and dug her fingernails into his arms to get his attention back.

"We need to work together to get you out of this marriage," Narcissa stated, full of hope that she and Lucius could be together, "We just need to confirm these suspicions."

Lucius nodded in agreement, his thumb lightly stroking her cheek.

"I can't be without you, Cissa," he whispered, "Be with me."

Nodding her head, he crushed his lips back down to hers.


End file.
